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Report on UAS Narrative Data:
Analysis of NBPTS Reflections
By Alice H. Merz
August, 2005
Description of the data for analysis
1. Two semesters of data, Fall 2004 and Spring 2005
2. Three different instructors
3. Three different masters’ level courses
Types of artifacts reflected on for the NBPTS.
1. Lesson activities and lesson plans
· theatrical arts activity to understand sections of Shakespeare
· 8th graders write books and read to elementary students
· national anthem to explore rights & democracy
· revision of student centered science units with student choice
· field trip around city and create one newspaper as a result
2. Tools for teaching and learning
· blogging for psychology class
· Memory tools
· Power-point presentation of physical classroom arrangement
· Running record
· Reading log
· Classroom library refurbished
· Computer simulation
· revision of classroom rules
· spreadsheet for test results
· developing a generic writing rubric for the school
· History of the school
· Interviews with stakeholders or persons with expertise
3. Service or Programs
· Grant proposal opportunity
· Service learning
· Staff development proposal
· Reflection of 4 guided reading meetings with a little bit of running record
· Cadet teaching program
Summary of Candidates’ Reflections on how their artifact demonstrated their growth in the 5 Core Propositions of the NBPTS:
NBPTS Core Proposition #1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
· Teachers recognize individual differences in their students and adjust their practice accordingly;
· Teachers have an understanding of how students develop and learn;
· Teachers treat students equitably;
· Teachers’ mission extends beyond developing the cognitive capacity of their students.
What are the candidates writing about?
1. They are committed to the subject area for the students to learn.
a Breaking down the subject into organized, meaningful parts for students
b Activities that will further students’ knowledge about the subject.
2. The basic need of having enough teachers and money for the students in the school and making that happen
3. Assessment
a Individually, even for group projects
b Summative assessment
c Combination of formative and summative assessments
d Using a variety of types of assessment for a lesson or unit
e Using Rubrics
i. expectations and consequences are known by all
ii. Helps with the organization and management
iii. Helps with consistency for students’ learning, especially across disciplines
4. Methods for Facilitating learning
a Multiple approaches and perspectives to learning
b Projects that build on each other
c Students having a choice of activities or having an activity that is open enough for students to tailor activity for themselves.
d Students working at own pace
e Relevance to students’ lives, community, country, or personal interests
5. Developing a classroom culture
a Rules, expectations, and consequences
b Freedom of expression through writing anonymously
c Responsibility for participating in discussion
What still needs to be brought out more explicitly by faculty and/or the candidates?
1. Commitment tailored to students:
a Some candidates expressed commitment to the students’ learning the subject with alternative tools for or approaches to learning. Some expressed commitment to the students. Would like to know more about the details, with some examples of how they are committed, beyond trying new things. In other words, more discussion about how this is about whom their students are and their learning process.
b No candidate specifically addressed equity or treating their students as a whole person. More about what it means to treat students equitably and as a whole person. More about how the candidates value their students.
2. Results or consequences from multiple perspectives:
a Are candidates looking for unintended consequences of trying something new? When trying something new, it is important to consider what you gain. But it also important to consider if you are losing something. How is that ‘ok’ or not ‘ok’ for the students and their learning in this situation?
3. Learning about students:
a Candidates wrote about learning from the planning and the activity. As a result, more was learned about the content and process. Would like to know more about what they are learning about their students and their students’ learning with the new project. Then, how does what they learn about the students with this new project (activity, tool, or method) impact their teaching further?
b Would like more detail about how the candidates are monitoring the students’ learning during an activity and how that affected their teaching.
NBPTS Core Proposition #2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
· Teachers appreciate how knowledge in their subjects is created, organized and linked to other disciplines;
· Teachers command specialized knowledge of how to convey a subject to students;
· Teachers generate multiple paths to knowledge.
What are the candidates writing about?
1. Knowledge described via
a Description of own expertise
b Videotape of teaching with no explanation about how or why she teaches the way she does
2. Knowledge and pedagogy is illustrated by the resources, tools, or process chosen.
a Making connections.
i. Candidate chose a song children would be familiar with for initial activity investigating rights and democracy
ii. Addressed standards and integrated learning.
b Individual differences
i. Giving more options and attention to the students
ii. Gain knowledge about students to inform pedagogy
1. Candidate states that the artifact was designed to help other candidates learn more information about their students so that they can make more informed decisions about the their students.
c Multiple approaches or options
i. Incorporating multiple approaches so that students could learn from multiple perspectives and to take advantage of their individual differences.
d Described process of teaching a lesson: Pre-assess, teach, then talk about applicability to students in last ten minutes.
e Process of consistency
i. Talks about helping the school to develop a generic writing rubric by taking advantage of some persons’ expertise without stepping on others’ toes. They are using their knowledge to develop a teaching tool. Designing it and implementing it is collaborative.
f Differentiation of rubrics for different writing purposes
3. Knowledge and pedagogy is illustrated by being able to articulate the benefits of an activity.
4. Stated that a candidate should use her expertise to teach that subject area and not to teach outside of that expertise.
What still needs to be brought out more explicitly by faculty and/or the candidates?
1. Tailoring Appropriateness:
a More information about what went into the decision to teach their particular students this information in this particular way; Why was it an appropriate method.
b One candidate talked about learning a tool for teaching, in this case technology. Rather than talking about his knowledge of the discipline, he talked about his knowledge of the tool. Would like to know more about how the tool will further the students’ learning of the subject matter. How will the tool give the candidate feedback that he would not have had otherwise and how will he use the results to adjust his teaching? How does the tool provide more appropriate/ meaningful learning of the subject matter.
2. Furthering one’s PCK (pedagogical content knowledge):
a Candidates stated what students may learn or get out of an activity, but we would like to know what the candidate learned about pck through this activity. In other words, how is what the candidates are doing furthering their own pck.
NBPTS Core Proposition #3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
· Teachers call on multiple methods to meet their goals;
· Teachers orchestrate learning in group settings;
· Teachers place a premium on student engagement;
· Teachers regularly assess student progress;
· Teachers are mindful of their principle objectives.
What are the candidates writing about?
1. Guiding student work
a. Organizing manageable chunks:
i. Candidate articulated how he broke the assignment into a manageable chunk for the students to choose from.
ii. Candidate set guidelines and organized experience. Candidate organized what activities were to be completed and scheduled them.
iii. More organization is involved for the students to have choices.
b. Monitoring & Feedback:
i. By having different groups or student choice, the candidates stated that they were able to provide more assistance and feedback.
ii. By using a rubric, the candidate and students have the potential for everyone to be monitored in the same way.
iii. Some candidates incorporated opportunities for formative-types of monitoring.
iv. The candidate took it upon herself to talk to all of her students about the good things they were doing. If there were areas of concern, she would talk with them in the office.
v. Candidate designed a spreadsheet that could provide a tool for monitoring students’ standardized test results. The candidate talked about the potential for learning more about the students’ knowledge as a result, as a way to plan to meet individual students’ needs better.
vi. Assessment:
1. Candidate assessed individually and as a whole group.
2. For some, the candidates’ students were involved in the process.
3. The assessment was on-going throughout the project.
4. For some candidates the assessment or monitoring was summative.
5. For some candidates the assessment and monitoring was on-going and formative.
6. Candidate monitors students’ learning with multiple assessments.
What still needs to be brought out more explicitly by faculty and/or the candidates?
1. Informing Teaching:
a Would like to know about how the candidates use the results of the monitoring or assessments to inform their teaching. What have they learned about the students and their own teaching?
2. Monitoring Methods
a Would like to know more about how the candidate monitors the students more individually as they work in their groups.
3. Multiple Assessments:
a While one candidate mentioned the he monitored the students’ learning with multiple assessments, we need to find ways to encourage candidates to incorporate this into their activities and reflections.
NBPTS Core Proposition #4: Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
· Teachers are continually making difficult choices that test their judgment;
· Teachers seek advice of others and draw on educational research and scholarship to improve their practice.
What are the candidates writing about?
1. Seeing students in a new way:
a The candidate stated that she would like to do more of this activity in her class, in the future. It allowed her to see some students differently, in a positive way.
2. Monitoring for success
a Candidate articulated that she had to be very systematic and monitor the teaching and learning so that the activity could be completed successfully.
3. Revising activity
a The candidate talked about how the activity was a new addition to a previously developed unit. It was designed to bring in more personal relevance to the students, even though the candidate chose the song. The candidate suggested what the students would learn and why,
4. Classroom managing:
a The candidate idea of consistency and consequences was affirmed.
5. Keeping Current:
a Some candidates state that they keep current by reading and talking with people. (Did not elaborate or give examples of the kinds of reading material.)
6. Collaborating & Implementing:
a Using the spreadsheet that was developed to keep track of students’ standardized test scores required the candidates to work together to enter the data. Candidate stated if they used this information then it would be evident in their classroom.
b Candidate stated that there is the potential for colleagues to learn about writing and grading essays using rubrics and for that to generate more dialogue with colleagues. As a result of a common rubric, the candidates and students are learning about consistency and collaboration.
7. Reflecting
a Candidate talked about what she learned as a result of this new activity, such as safety issues on field trip, organization, rubrics, and newspaper layouts.
b Candidate stated that this activity that he taught advanced his pedagogy, but no details or examples are provided to help the reader understand. Candidate stated that he used the knowledge from the blogs, but he gave no details or examples for the reader.
What still needs to be brought out more explicitly by faculty and/or the candidates?
1. Vagueness of pedagogy and its impact:
a Some candidates were vague about the pedagogical practices and implementation.
b Would like to make it clear that details and examples are important for the reader to be able to understand what is changing and being learned.
2. Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK):
a Candidates imply that their learning was in the implementation or revision of the activities. Would like the candidates to articulate explicitly what they learned about the interaction between their activity/methods and their students’ learning.
b Would like to make it more clear that it is important that the candidates think about what they have learned about their students as well as what they think the students have learned.
c If candidates are learning about a new tool or method, would like them to focus on how it is helping them to learn more about the subject and their students’ learning.
3. Tensions:
a The candidates want to present both their work and their students’ work in the best light. However, sometimes this neglects the tensions that arise in the teaching/learning process. How can we help our students think about the importance of these tensions in a way that maintains respect for all?
NBPTS Core Proposition #5: Teachers are members of learning communities.
· Teachers contribute to school effectiveness by collaborating with other professionals;
· Teachers work collaboratively with parents;
· Teachers take advantage of community resources.
What are the candidates writing about?
1. Communicating activity to others:
a Some candidates mentioned that they have shared the activity or results with their colleagues.
b Candidate stated that he was open to feedback from colleagues or journals, but did not state how this affected this activity.
c Learning community was described as taking the final product from the 8th graders to the elementary school for sharing.
2. Using resources to develop activity
a Some candidates listed all of the persons involved in influencing him as he developed the activity.
b A group of candidates made a generic writing rubric for other departments in hopes that they will use it.
3. Keeping contacts current:
a Candidate talked about parents being informed.
b Candidate talked about keeping current by talking with colleagues, attends workshops and seminars.
4. Working together:
a Candidate talked about how the spreadsheet is providing a community of learners with his teachers/colleagues. He states that it could be farmed out so that teachers are not imposed upon, but this gets them involved more.